“The Happytime Murders” (R)
Think a “Muppet” movie, where humans and puppets co-exist, except the movie is an F-bomb-laced, rude and crude murder mystery and you get “The Happytime Murders,” the latest R-rated comedy starring Melissa McCarthy.
“The Happytime Murders” takes its name from a “The Happytime Gang,” a once a popular puppet TV show. Years after the show ended its run, most of the puppet stars are down in and out in Los Angeles, and even worse, somebody looking for vengeance is killing the cast members one by one in a puff of smoke, felt and feathers. Looking to solve the mystery as to why, a human investigator (McCarthy) teams up with her former detective partner (“Muppets” puppeteer/voice actor Bill Barretta) — who is a puppet, to get to the bottom of what is dubbed the Happytime Murders.
AUDIO: Hear Tim’s review of “The Happytime Murders” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show.”
A send-up of buddy cop comedies and gumshoe murder mysteries, “The Happytime Murders” is very raunchy, and while only half the lines work, when they do, it’s very funny. Plus, as a spoof movie, the story is very well constructed. It’s politically incorrect, like “Team America: World Police” and “Sausage Party,” where a genre and characters normally associated with kid entertainment are peppered it with filthy language and rude and crude physical humor.
McCarthy’s good as usual in “The Happytime Murders” but she’s been funnier, maybe because it seems her F-bomb-slinging detective feels too close to her role opposite Sandra Bullock in director Paul Feig’s uproarious comedy “The Heat.” The movie also stars Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale and Leslie David Baker (Stanley on “The Office”) who all deliver as expected, but the movie really belongs the puppets and the people behind them, who show us how it was all done during the end credits.
Perhaps the most amusing aspect of “The Happytime Murders” is that it’s directed by Brian Henson, the son of the late Muppets creator Jim Henson who serves to this day as chairman of the The Jim Henson Company. Clearly has a sense of humor when it comes with messing with the clean image of the Muppets; in fact, the film’s production company, called Henson Alternative, suggests there’s more of this type of “Happytime” humor to come.
Lammometer: 6.5 (out of 10)
AUDIO: Hear Tim’s review of “The Happytime Murders” with Jordana Green and Paul Douglas on WCCO-AM Radio (segment begins 6:30 in).
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
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